Picture-transmitting remote object inspection system

1. In an image transmitting remote object examination device comprising: (a) an image recording system disposed at a location of an object to be examined; (b) an observation station located at a distance from the image recording system, the observation station capable of evaluating the image and remotely controlling the image recording system; and (c) a narrow-band telecommunications link interposed between the image recording system and the observation station, whereby images recorded at the image recording system are transmitted to the observation station by the narrow band telecommunications link using at least one of image data compression and image data reduction, the narrow band telecommunications link also transmitting remote control signals to the image recording system; the improvement comprising: an automated system status determining unit for continuously supervising the automated management of image transmission, and as a function of determined system status, including availability of system resources, variably and automatically controlling at least one of the image data compression, the image data reduction and the number of individual telecommunication channels employed in the transmission of the image data.

2. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein parameters for the at least one of image data compression and image data reduction are set as a function of image content and image enlargement.

3. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein a variable number of telecommunication channels serves as a transmission path, the number of channels being determined by the system status determining unit as a function of the determined system status, the system status determining unit also automatically compensating for channel duration.

4. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the image recording system comprises an automatic image focusing mechanism.

5. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the image recording system comprises an automatic brightness control mechanism.

6. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the observation station is capable of matching a previously recorded image with only the area in a subsequent image that is not contained in the previously recorded image.

7. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the observation station further comprises at least one of an optical display, an acoustic display and a mechanical force feedback display of system status information.

8. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the observation station further comprises a phantom image recording mechanism for reproducing a recorded image as a system operating parameter.

9. The improved image transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein images are periodically transmitted to and stored at the observation station, the images being selected based upon the probability that the images will be subsequently required by the system.

10. The improved image-transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , wherein the observation station has a storage mechanism for archiving data for transmitted images.

11. The improved image-transmitting remote object examination device of claim 1 , the improvement further comprising a mechanism for viewing image field areas in real time.

12. An image transmitting remote object examination device comprising: (a) an image recording system disposed at a location of an object to be examined; (b) an observation station located at a distance from the image recording system, the observation station capable of evaluating the image and remotely controlling the image recording system, the observation station comprising a mechanism for generating and displaying intermediate images between successively transmitted, partially overlapping individual images; (c) a narrow-band telecommunications link interposed between the image recording system and the observation station, whereby images recorded at the image recording system are transmitted to the observation station by the narrow band telecommunications link using at least one of image data compression and image data reduction, the narrow band telecommunications link also transmitting remote control signals to the image recording system; and (d) an automated system status determining unit for continuously supervising the automated management of image transmission, and as a function of determined system status, including availability of system resources, variably and automatically controlling at least one of the image data compression, the image data reduction and the number of individual telecommunication channels employed in the transmission of the image data.

13. An image transmitting remote object examination device comprising: (a) an image recording system disposed at a location of an object to be examined; (b) an observation station located at a distance from the image recording system, the observation station capable of evaluating the image and remotely controlling the image recording system; (c) a narrow-band telecommunications link interposed between the image recording system and the observation station, whereby images recorded at the image recording system are transmitted to the observation station by the narrow band telecommunications link using at least one of image data compression and image data reduction, the narrow band telecommunications link also transmitting remote control signals to the image recording system; (d) an automated system status determining unit for continuously supervising the automated management of image transmission, and as a function of determined system status, including availability of system resources, variably and automatically controlling at least one of the image data compression, the image data reduction and the number of individual telecommunication channels employed in the transmission of the image data; and (e) a display capable of representing an overall image of an object in which the current viewing field and optionally the areas of the object already examined are represented as respective marker areas.

14. An image transmitting remote object examination device comprising; (a) an image recording system disposed at a location of an object to be examined; (b) an observation station located at a distance from the image recording system, the observation station capable of evaluating the image and remotely controlling the image recording system, the observation station having a storage mechanism for archiving data for transmitted images; (c) a narrow-band telecommunications link interposed between the image recording system and the observation station, whereby images recorded at the image recording system are transmitted to the observation station by the narrow band telecommunications link using at least one of image data compression and image data reduction, the narrow band telecommunications link also transmitting remote control signals to the image recording system; (d) an automated system status determining unit for continuously supervising the automated management of image transmission, and as a function of determined system status, including availability of system resources, variably and automatically controlling at least one of the image data compression, the image data reduction and the number of individual telecommunication channels employed in the transmission of the image data; wherein the system is capable of automatically adjusting current images on the basis of archived data.